Sixteen new Airbus A321neo aircraft will be purchased by Hawaiian Airlines under a memorandum of understanding announced today.

Hawaiian Airlines is expanding its fleet again with up to 25 new long-range, single-aisle aircraft that can reach neighbor island markets not economically viable with the carrier’s wide-body planes.

The state’s largest carrier said today it has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire 16 new A321neo aircraft between 2017 and 2020, with rights to purchase an additional nine aircraft. The expansion is expected to generate roughly 1,000 additional jobs at the airline.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed but the aircraft have a total list-price value of about $2.8 billion if all of the purchase rights are exercised.

“With its slightly smaller size we’ll be able to open new markets that are not viable for wide-body service, while also being able to augment service on existing routes to the West Coast,” said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian.

The long-range, single-aisle aircraft will seat approximately 190 passengers and has a range of 3,650 nautical miles. The acquisition is contingent upon Hawaiian signing new agreements with its pilots and flight attendant unions covering operation of the new aircraft.

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rosawrote:

Why does Hawaiian buy from Airbus rather than Boeing? Are planes built in France better? Is there something wrong with "Made in USA"?

on January 7,2013 | 06:09AM

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Morimotowrote:

It's called capitalism. Everybody buys from everybody else, regardless of where they are. I'd rather buy from someone who gives me a good deal, than buy from someone strictly because they do business in a certain location. In this case buying from Airbus made more economic sense for Hawaiian Airlines. But if you think otherwise you're free to buy a piece of junk from anyone you want.

on January 7,2013 | 08:22AM

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alliewrote:

true..capitalism has no national loyalty at all.

on January 7,2013 | 08:42AM

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tiki886wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on January 7,2013 | 03:23PM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

How did u just make Allie bold?

on January 7,2013 | 05:07PM

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Mensorewrote:

I've never flown on Hawaiian's A330-200, but have on other airlines. Those planes do not compare to a 777-300, or even a well updated 747-400. In my opinion, single or double isle, the Boeing long-haul aircraft are more comfortable and better designed.

on January 7,2013 | 11:03AM

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HawaiiCheeseBallwrote:

Maybe you can ask the likes of United and US Airways the same question, they fly Airbus as well as did American at one point. Every airline has different needs and purchase their equipment accordingly. If buying Airbus means that there will be more jobs for local people at Hawaiian Airlines and more visitors coming to our islands and patronize local businesses I suggest this is a good thing.

on January 7,2013 | 08:58AM

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pridonwrote:

Airbus probably has better pricing because of illegal subisidies by France Germany and UK.

on January 7,2013 | 11:23AM

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hawaiianmickeywrote:

Airbus has more parts built in USA than Boeing does. Just like Toyota cars have more parts built in USA than Detroit's cars. Look deep at where the parts are made and you'll be surprised.
Plus Boeing probably did not offer any discounts to Hawaiian. Plus Airbus can deliver the planes faster than Boeing could.

on January 7,2013 | 10:04AM

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Wazdatwrote:

single isles planes are TERRIBLE for long haul flights, with one aisle, you are always stuck.

on January 7,2013 | 06:18AM

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alliewrote:

agree..horrible plane even for short haul

on January 7,2013 | 08:42AM

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seriouswrote:

HA has the highest rates from the mainland--but the 767 does have two aisles--but I fly Alaska, first class and pay the same, well, /- as HA.

on January 7,2013 | 10:02AM

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Hawaii001wrote:

Here's a tip to avoid getting stuck on single aisle planes: don't bring too many carry on bags and sit toward the front of the aircraft.

on January 7,2013 | 08:42AM

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Surfer_Dudewrote:

Here's another tip........hold your bladder for five hours.

on January 7,2013 | 10:22AM

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alliewrote:

yup..just dreadful plane

on January 7,2013 | 11:07AM

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Maneki_Nekowrote:

In one hand or two?

on January 7,2013 | 11:10AM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

None. I use depends.

on January 7,2013 | 05:10PM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

Takes only 45 minutes max between islands.

on January 7,2013 | 05:09PM

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kailuabredwrote:

That's the truth! I would never fly single aisle across the Pacific unless it was dirt cheap. Bad move!

on January 7,2013 | 10:31AM

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gypsywrote:

the detest planes with only one aisle; great for making money for the airlines; negative comfort factor for the passengers

on January 7,2013 | 06:34AM

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alliewrote:

yup

on January 7,2013 | 08:42AM

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DABLACKwrote:

If the new planes are faster, than I can bear with one with a single aisle. Cutting the airtime to the islands by 1/2 of (5) hours will be just fine !!

on January 7,2013 | 07:02AM

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kailuabredwrote:

Thjat aint going to happen, chief. You're stuck with about the same flight time.

on January 7,2013 | 10:33AM

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Maneki_Nekowrote:

Single aisle....yuck. Not only are you stuck but it means 3 x 3 seating.

on January 7,2013 | 07:11AM

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alliewrote:

you got it

on January 7,2013 | 08:43AM

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nitpikkerwrote:

nothing worse than 2x5x2!!

on January 7,2013 | 02:53PM

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phoenixguyherewrote:

Love the 767 configuration. You don't know how many times I have flown with no one next to me

on January 7,2013 | 03:23PM

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localguywrote:

Gotta love a company buying foreign made planes then using our money to give to them. Mark hasn't got a clue about what Aloha stands for. Just another bureaucrat.

on January 7,2013 | 07:18AM

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inversewrote:

You and the rest of the American flying have a choice; complain but continue to fly Hawaiian or boycott Hawaiian and fly another carrier like United/ Continental that uses almost exclusively Boeing (except for their small commuter jets like United Express which uses a Bombardier jet). Obviously Dunkerly sees no downside to going more with Airbus than Boeing as Hawaii and US mainland residents continue to fly with Hawaiian air.

on January 7,2013 | 08:18AM

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HawaiiCheeseBallwrote:

United placed a big Airbus A350 order last year and they have a little over 150 Airbus A320/319s in their fleet, and those un-American guys at of all places US Airways who fly a fleet with over 250 Airbus A319/320/321/330. Of course we can all agree that by flying these fleets the provide jobs to the thousands of Americans who fly and maintain them and the crews and agents who serve the passengers. I thought the days when people would take sledgehammers to Toyotas at "buy American" events were long over. One more thing, calling the CEO who turned Hawaiian Airlines into a successful, profitable airline that employs thousands of Hawaii residents a "bureaucrat" is perhaps the craziest things ever posted.

on January 7,2013 | 09:13AM

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inversewrote:

I don't disagree with you. I wrote this elsewhere later but it did not post....To think if the former incompetent, self serving Aloha Airlines execs were NOT focused on just lining their pockets and actually was looking out for the company and its employees; Hawaiian Air would NOT be in just a dominant position it is in today and Aloha air would still be in business. First the Aloha air execs upped their own salaries and then drove Aloha air into the ground by allowing Mesa to examine their books in hopes of partnering with them then have Mesa compete directly against Aloha & Hawaiian. Did not these overpaid execs even think about the history of company raider Orden stein and the possibility that he was using a Trojan horse strategy? Did Aloha air execs make sure they were legally protected in the event of a possible Trojan horse maneuver by Mesa? Aloha air execs where then LATE and not on top of dealing with Mesa in the court system as Hawaiian Air was and as a result, Hawaiian won their court battles against Mesa, even though Mesa really damaged and finanically ruined Aloha and NOT Hawaiian. That is the difference in LEADERSHIP of a company that allows a company to expand like Hawaiian or go bankrupt like Aloha Air. In this perspective you got to give Dunkerly credit for providing the leadership for Hawaiian and therefore would cut the guy some slack in choosing French Airbus planes over Boeing. Anyway, Boeing is not helping their situation as their roll out of their next generation 787 Dreamliner has not been smooth.

on January 7,2013 | 09:20AM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

Don't disagree = agree

on January 7,2013 | 05:22PM

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Morimotowrote:

And you haven't got a clue as to how to run a business.

on January 7,2013 | 08:24AM

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inversewrote:

PS. I don't see any "local" outrage for the City of Honolulu to hire the financially strapped Italian company Ansaldo and pay them over a BILLION dollars of Hawaii taxpayer monies to build an outdated steel on steel elevated HEAVY rail system that does NOT address the W Oahu to town school commuting crowd; hence will NEVER improve commuter traffic on Oahu.

on January 7,2013 | 08:49AM

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kennie1933wrote:

Boeing vs. Airbus. It's called competition! If Boeing wants more American business, they need to be more competitive price-wise and product-wise with Airbus. In a recent article though, Boeing has more orders than it can handle at the moment so I'm not sure they even NEED more business at this point. In any case, just a few years ago, Airbus was not even a major player in the jetliner industry so they obviously did something right. Besides, how many of US drive cars purely made in America? In fact, did you know that the car with the highest quantity of American made parts is....the Toyota Camry? I'm sure Boeing uses a lot of foreign made parts as does Airbus. It's a global economy.

on January 7,2013 | 10:09AM

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pridonwrote:

He's Britisih , right?

on January 7,2013 | 11:24AM

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Kapcitywrote:

Actus Lend Lease is not american company...but they got lots of contract for our military housing. They have contracts to develop it and maintained for lots of years. You are taliking about big federal contract giving it to non american company.

on January 7,2013 | 09:26PM

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kainaluwrote:

Looks those excessive baggage fees are paying off BIG TIME! ... eh?

on January 7,2013 | 07:51AM

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LRCwrote:

I wonder if they'll start flying to/from Hilo and California?? To compete with United.

on January 7,2013 | 08:38AM

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alliewrote:

Single aisle? No thank you! Dreadful plane

on January 7,2013 | 08:41AM

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Maneki_Nekowrote:

It's not a great passenger experience but there is an upside....the use of smaller planes opens up new markets which means more direct flights and less connections. The 190 seat airplanes (Boeing's equivalent is the 757) can be justified on routes that can't fill the 290 seat planes regularly. So the good news is we may have more flights to secondary markets and can skip the stopover in SFO, LAX or Las Vegas. But single aisle planes truly provide a lousy flying experience for long hauls.

on January 7,2013 | 08:55AM

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inversewrote:

A few years ago, some airline that went out of business (ATA?) used to fly the Boeing 757-300 from Honolulu to the mainland which I think was/is the longest 3 x 3 single aisle passenger plane ever built. That was a strange feeling to walk in the front cabin door in this super long single aisle plane and keep on walking for what seem liked forever till you reached the end of the plane. If you sat in the very back of the plane you felt completely disconnected from the front of the plane cause it was so far away. For people who need to frequently stand up and move around on the plane or have to go to the bathroom regulary (eg like this old man I saw who must have had some prostate issue and did not take the medication that Joe Theisman recommends on TV) a single aisle passenger plane is their form of he ll.

on January 7,2013 | 02:34PM

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phoenixguyherewrote:

I flew ATA once before starting to use Hawaiian. I booked my ticket and took a seat in the emergency exit aisle. Unknown to me, the aisle was where you boarded. There was 19 feet between us and the seats in front of us. I sat by the window and another guy was by the aisle. No one in the middle. We chatted and thought this was great and we would have room. At the last minute, a US Submarine guy entered and had the middle seat. He was 6ft 4 and probably 275 lbs. We were tight but I laughed about the experience and wondered how this big guy did on the a sub. He slept most of the way since he was spending his money at the Phoenix Airport bar. When he woke up, we all chatted, the FA and had a great rest of the trip.......LOL...SInce then....Hawaiian Air all the way for me

on January 7,2013 | 02:53PM

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bigwieziewrote:

Hawaiian cant buy from Boeing because they filed Bankrupcy and Boeing was one of the creditors. So, Boeing will not sell to Hawaiian for that reason.

on January 7,2013 | 08:57AM

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hawaiianmickeywrote:

So was United and all other carriers who filed for bankruptcy and they sold Boeing planes to them. Hawaiian paid all their creditors back 100% not so the other carriers.

on January 7,2013 | 10:09AM

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Surfer_Dudewrote:

Wrong. Hawaiian stiffed Boeing. Hawaiian wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't for Boeing. I guarantee you, not one Boeing employee flies to the islands from Seattle on a Hawaiian/ Airbus

on January 7,2013 | 10:27AM

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HawaiiCheeseBallwrote:

You kidding me? Boeing will sell a jet to anyone who has the money. Hawaiian is a different airline now. They have over $300 million in unrestricted cash sitting in the bank. If they came to Boeing and said they wanted to buy some 737-9 Max aircraft would you think Boeing would say no? Of course not, they would have a tender sheet to Hawaiian pronto. More likely Hawaiian is going with the A321 because they are going to be an all Airbus fleet. They will save money on crew training and support by going all Airbus. It just a business decision.

on January 7,2013 | 01:08PM

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phoenixguyherewrote:

I agree. Hawaiian is standarizing with AIrbus just like Southwest has with their 737's. Talk about single aisle seats....wait until SOuthwest announces thye are flying to HNL with their cattle cars. That announcement will be coming soon

To think if the former incompetent, self serving Aloha Airlines execs were NOT focused on just lining their pockets and actually was looking out for the company and its employees; Hawaiian Air would NOT be in just a dominant position it is in today and Aloha air would still be in business. First the Aloha air execs upped their own salaries and then drove Aloha air into the ground by allowing Mesa to examine their books in hopes of partnering with them then have Mesa compete directly against Aloha & Hawaiian. Did not these overpaid execs even think about the history of company raider Ordenstein and the possibility that he was using a Trojan horse strategy? Did Aloha air execs make sure they were legally protected in the event of a possible Trojan horse maneuver by Mesa? Aloha air execs where then LATE and not on top of dealing with Mesa in the court system as Hawaiian Air was and as a result, Hawaiian won their court battles against Mesa, even though Mesa really damaged and finanically ruined Aloha and NOT Hawaiian. That is the difference in LEADERSHIP of a company that allows a company to expand like Hawaiian or go bankrupt like Aloha Air. In this perspective you got to give Dunkerly credit for providing the leadership for Hawaiian and therefore would cut the guy some slack in choosing French Airbus planes over Boeing. Anyway, Boeing is not helping their situation as their roll out of their next generation 787 Dreamliner has not been smooth.

on January 7,2013 | 09:19AM

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Maneki_Nekowrote:

If you look at the big picture, this is all good economically for Hawaii. Every time a plane lands a bunch of people with fat wallets emerge and spend money here. That's good, yeah? Well, more planes means more flights means more wallets and money for us guys. So the effect on the economy is good. It's just that these buggahs stay so uncomfortable to ride in for 5 hours. Consider it your sacrifice for the good of the State.

on January 7,2013 | 09:49AM

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alliewrote:

Lingle lined her pocket with their money hon. She served them Not you

on January 7,2013 | 11:08AM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

Just take coach.

on January 7,2013 | 05:15PM

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jankenpowrote:

Reality check. The big two aisle comfy days on domestic routes will soon be over for Hawaiian. Especially need to get these narrow body aircraft on the other islands to the mainland.

on January 7,2013 | 10:32AM

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hawaiianmickeywrote:

1000 new jobs! Do we need to say more!

on January 7,2013 | 10:53AM

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Surfer_Dudewrote:

Yeah......ten thousand FRENCH jobs.

on January 7,2013 | 10:56AM

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Maneki_Nekowrote:

If Southwest does come in they will be flying single aisle 737s with 3x3 seating so we may as well get used to the idea, cause I'l, use SWA all the time that I can!

on January 7,2013 | 11:11AM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

Aloha would have flown those, if they were still alive.

on January 7,2013 | 05:17PM

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808compwrote:

SW would be a great one to get on. Once you get to the west coast you could conn to almost anywhere.

on January 7,2013 | 05:26PM

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lee1957wrote:

"The acquisition is contingent upon Hawaiian signing new agreements with its pilots and flight attendant unions covering operation of the new aircraft." What's wrong with this picture?

on January 7,2013 | 10:53AM

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silvangoldwrote:

and this is WHY we need to re-direct our thinking:::::::: comfort, for both my husband and myself is a number one priority.....we mostly travel from HNL to Las Vegas, (along with normal aches and pains that also comes with age) and we fly Hawaiian because he just 'don't fit' comfortably on those big huge planes that Vacations Hawaii uses...... if they begin to use only single aisle (cant get to rest rooms if they're handing out drinks) ... SOME people just have a smaller bladder than others......its NOT the long time to get out of the plane....we will redirect our thoughts.... we were talking, and sort of came to the same conclusion: pay for comfort on United or ANY other plane if we must.....at this point bladder vs points is truly an issue. points are like money, you cant take it with you........loyalty sort of goes out the window at some time!

on January 7,2013 | 11:11AM

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Hawaii001wrote:

I can see the A330 remaining on the Honolulu to Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York routes.
For the A321neo, I can see it being used between Honolulu to Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Pago Pago, Papeete, and maybe a 3rd flight to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, then Maui to Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas
Potential NEW US markets for the A321: Honolulu to Anchorage, Reno, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Santa Ana (Disneyland).
Potential NEW CANADIAN markets for the A321: Vancouver, BC and Victoria, BC and Calgary, AB.

on January 7,2013 | 11:52AM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

Mark, we understand.

on January 7,2013 | 05:18PM

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Hawaii001wrote:

Nice try, but my name is not Mark. LOL!

on January 7,2013 | 10:44PM

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phoenixguyherewrote:

I looked at the Airbus website and if you believe what they say, 46% of the component parts for the Airbus are made in the USA

on January 7,2013 | 02:42PM

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phoenixguyherewrote:

HA is flying N/S to NYC now. Freeing up the A 330's from the West coast could allow them to go Chicago, Denver, etc N/S to HNL and Maui. Also they can fly further into the Orient and places like that. I think it is a smart move

on January 7,2013 | 03:05PM

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turbolinkwrote:

Congratulations Hawaiian! Happy to see the team continue to grow in healthy ways.

on January 7,2013 | 03:06PM

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phoenixguyherewrote:

Someone must have faith in the HA Board and Mgm't. Last year the stock closed at $4 and today it closed at $7 . Wish I had bought more.

on January 7,2013 | 03:21PM

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dunderheadwrote:

Some of the comments here are laughable. Complaining about a single aisle airplane? So what do you experts recommend for their smaller markets? You have your choice A321NEO or 737MAX9, take your pick, both single aisle. For those of you who are trying to compare airplane part prices and country of origin with cars, you have no clue.

on January 7,2013 | 04:21PM

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HonoluluHawaiiwrote:

Lol yeah Hawaiian flew the stretch MD-80 single aisle before, so what is the big deal?

on January 7,2013 | 05:19PM

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jameschingwrote:

aloha, the a321neo has a range of about 3750 nmi. i predict that ha will be using these new planes for flights to hnl from winnipeg ca, edmonton ca, calgary ca, vancouver ca, saskatchewan ca, san antonio or austin tx, oklahoma city ok, omaha ne, denver co,

on January 7,2013 | 09:12PM

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hikinewrote:

HA's inter-island one aisle planes are more spacious compared to United's one aisle planes bound for the mainland. Hopefully this same configuration carries over to the new planes. HA's service is exceptional and as far as I know they're the only airline that offers free hot meals on long haul flights! Other carriers offer stale sandwiches for sale or hot meal for fee.